USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1963 > Part 17
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10
10
Spotlight . ..
7
26
162
Traffic Light Post
& Bases
1
26
90
Traffic Sign Posts
38
51
620
1198
TOTAL
38
69
672
1467
7
Traffic Light Heads
181
REPORT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
ROAD AND CURB MARKINGS
1963
Type of Markings
New Markings
Renewed
Total Inventory
Bus Stops
38
38
Crossroads
4
4
Crosswalks.
28
470
235
Directional Arrows.
7
112
63
Do Not Enter
2
2
Enter Only
2
2
In
1
10
6
Island Curbs
16
8
Look
56
940
470
No Parking
5
27
27
Out
1
10
6
Parking Area Stalls
95
199
294
Parking Meter Stalls.
25
465
490
Railroad Warnings
20
10
Right Turn Only
32
16
Slow ..
18
244
262
Slow School
10
124
72
Stop
236
118
Stop Lines.
236
118
Taxi Cab Stands
9
9
TOTAL
246
3230
2211
PARKING METERS
There are at the present time 523 Parking Meters in operation through- out the town. Mechanical failure and other causes necessitated certain re- pairs.
A new 25 car parking area was created in the rear of Railroad Ave. The Winslow Street Parking Area has a mechanical gate which admits a car for a fee of 25 cents for all day parking. There are 95 car stalls in this area.
Meters repaired.
375
Meters removed. .
8
Meters damaged by vehicles.
4
Meter posts straightened . 125
New meters and posts installed. 25
INVENTORY
Meters on street Jan. 1, 1964. 260
Meters Municipal Parking Jan. 1, 1964. 263
TOTAL METERS 523
34
17
Left Turn Only.
182
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
AUXILIARY POLICE
I wish to take this opportunity to publicly thank all of the members of the Auxiliary Police. In addition to their attendance at monthly lectures on subjects pertinent to their duties, they also gave unselfishly of their time, assisting the Regular Department in the control of vehicular and pedestrian traffic at church services, parades and other civic affairs.
CONCLUSION
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen, esteemed Town Manager, mem- bers of the Police Department and to all others who in any manner contri- buted to the success of the Department, within the past year, I am deeply indebted and sincerely grateful.
Respectfully submitted,
ALBERT E. RYAN Chief of Police
183
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 1963
To the Citizens of Arlington:
In today's world it is fair to say that the central objectives of a School Committee are to assure (1) that the right climate and opportunities exist for rapid and thorough learning, and (2) that the educational program antici- pates the needs of the years to come.
The first involves indispensable elements that include not only inspiring and effective teachers but also buildings and apparatus which are adequate, promote the learning atmosphere and extend the teaching effectiveness. These are ingredients familiar to all American communities and generally are the focus of discussion about public education, probably because they are easily equated to operating costs and requirements for new physical facili- ties. Their true importance cannot be over estimated in providing the best circumstances for learning and they are receiving the continued attention of your school authorities.
The second objective involves the problems which the increasingly rapid technological advances have catapulted into a position of new urgency. It is of growing concern to your School Committee and School Department and worth emphasis in a report to you.
Traditionally our schools have provided a general education and a cer- tain amount of training for employment in various pursuits. Beyond this, on-the-job training in the current practices equipped the individual for a long useful employment. Now it simply is no longer enough to educate and train our young citizens as to the activities and the practices of today. They must be equipped, whether it be in the ideas and understanding of the mind or in the physical skills, with the potential for handling problems and per - forming tasks which we cannot even define today. The effects of automation on the displacement of many of yesteryear's skilled technicians and the steady emergence of completely new industries are hints of changes to come. The person without the potential to assimulate new ideas and abilities will be more and more of a problem to himself and to the community in the next decades.
Your School Committee and School Department are aware of the needs and the detailed report of the Superintendent of Schools gives a picture of the kinds of steps that are being taken. At the risk of over simplifying, they might be summarized in four categories. First, the fundamentals of what we have known as the general education in elementary and secondary school are being examined and modified in the light of improving ability to under - stand and cope with more complex ideas and problems. The new math, innovations in social studies and broadening language and science studies are in this grouping. The second concerns the opportunities for learning basic shop skills and obtaining technical and vocational training. This in- cludes the blossoming Industrial Arts Program at the high school and our now well established Technical and Vocational High School. The third is the new offering of opportunities for post-secondary education in specific areas of demonstrated future importance. An Electronic Data Processing Course offered under the name Arlington Technical Institute and two Man- power Development and Training Courses subsidized by the Federal govern- ment are our initial ventures. The fourth is new and small and yet of probable importance well beyond the numbers involved. This is a program called STEP (Student to Employment Program), to provide potential drop- outs with some specific marketable training as well as keep alive the elements of a general education.
184
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
An annual report is not complete without comment on the operating budget. In Arlington, as throughout the Nation generally, the costs continue to grow. The budget increase required for the next fiscal year is due essentially to two factors, the continued increase in pupil enrollment and the necessity of raising teachers' salaries. Over the past decade the aver- age annual growth in pupil enrollment has been approximately 225. This is the equivalent of eight to ten new classrooms yearly with all associate teaching and auxiliary costs. In order to attract and keep good teachers to provide for this growth and for normal replacements, it is necessary to meet the competition from other school systems. Consequently, in the face of pressures due both to a limited supply of good teachers and the general unstable wage and salary picture throughout the country, Arlington finds it essential and to her advantage to grant salary increases.
The year of 1963 saw the retirement of six long-term professional em- ployees.
Mr. Charles H. Downs, principal of Arlington High School since 1954, retired in June, 1963 after thirty-six years of devoted service. Mr. Downs began his career in Arlington in 1927 as a social studies teacher and coach. The Committee, in grateful acknowledgement of his service, honored him at their June meeting. Mr. Downs has our warm wishes for a long and well- deserved retirement.
Mr. Raymond S. Locke, of Barrington, Rhode Island, was appointed principal of Arlington High School upon Mr. Down's retirement.
Miss Ann O'Keefe, a mathematics teacher at Arlington High School, retired in June, 1963 after thirty-seven years of continuous and meritorious service.
Mr. Lawrence P. Arthur, a teacher at Arlington High School, retired in June, 1963 after thirty-three years of faithful service as a member of the Industrial Arts Department.
Mr. James Toner, a member of the Business Department at Arlington High School, retired in September, 1963 after thirty-two years of devoted teaching.
Miss Margaret Bubar, a teacher at the Junior High School East, retired in June, 1963 after thirty-two years of loyal service.
Mrs. Margaret Brennan, a teacher at the Hardy School, retired in December, 1963 after twenty-five years of service as an outstanding ele- mentary school teacher.
The Committee deeply appreciates the efforts of the entire staff of the Arlington Public Schools for their service and loyalty to the schools. It is this sort of cooperation that enables our schools to fulfill their functions so well.
We extend our thanks to the Town Manager and other Town officials for their help in all school matters in which they were involved.
Respectfully submitted,
James W. Daily, Chairman Carl F. Allen Richard W. Baker Velma B. Brown Mary K. Carter Arthur F. Coughlin, Jr. Charles R. Kent John P. Morine Mary E. Porteus
185
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE YEAR 1963
To the School Committee of Arlington
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In accordance with the provisions of the Rules and Regulations of the Arlington School Committee, the Superintendent of Schools has had prepared and submits herewith his Annual Report. No report can hope to adequately cover the activities of 8600 pupils and 550 employees, so at its best it must be eclectic. Therefore, this report contains only information about newer phases of our program or areas of greatest public interest.
The School Committee received during the year 1963 $50,760 under Public Law 874. The Committee chose to continue its practice of allocating the majority of monies to Instructional Services. Operating under this policy support was given to the following areas: Consultants for the Mathe- matics Program, SMSG Math Books, Data Processing Equipment and Ma- terials, Consultants for Psychological Counseling, Mystic Valley Children's Clinic, Summer Project for (4) teachers at the Harvard-Lexington Summer School, the STEP Program for potential school drop-outs, and the deficit in the Instructional Services due to an unusually heavy drain on the teachers' Sick Leave Account. In addition, the School Committee at the request of the Finance Committee voted to return $25,000 to the Town to be expended for teacher salary adjustments for the year 1963.
OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
"Give me a log hut, with only a simple bench, Mark Hopkins on one end and I on the other, and you may have all the buildings, apparatus and libraries without him."
James Abram Garfield
The MOST significant fact regarding the whole of education resting on a bench shared by Mark Hopkins and a student is that Mark Hopkins didn't make the assertion. As an educator he knew better! When Mr. Garfield created this much-quoted aphorism, he paid a great tribute to his revered teacher but radically over-simplified the necessities of the twentieth cen- tury educational process, which needs teachers such as Hopkins, primarily, but also needs the "buildings, apparatus and libraries" which he so graci- ously offered to trade.
Education has come a long way from the simple one room school of Mr. Garfield's time to the multi-level buildings of today. Our society has become increasingly complex and with it education has expanded so today it is big business far removed from that simpler age. In that bygone time it was possible for every citizen to know the school through personal experi- ence. This is no longer possible but in the belief that an informed citizenry is the best safeguard for good education, this report is an attempt to pro- vide the information needed to understand our schools.
The first of the 3 R's - Reading - has this year received a goodly share of our attention as has always been the case. We have continued our policy of gradually equipping our classes with three basal readers rather than with one basic text. This enables us to provide more meaningful experiences suitable to the various needs of differing pupils.
186
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
In our continued striving to reach our goal -- Better Readers -- we try to keep abreast with current research for any ideas that may aid us in developing a more effective reading program. Currently, we have on our staff for the elementary schools two reading consultants who work with our teachers and their classes in order to develop better readers. It is our belief that consultants working through the regular classroom teacher achieve greater success than if the consultant operates alone as the specia- list who teaches reading. Furthermore, it enables the professional skill of the trained reading teacher to reach more pupils. The classroom teachers are encouraged to train children in the art of self-direction and independence. In addition, it becomes important to utilize effectively every available mo- ment if we are to advance each pupil to the limits of his capacity.
There is neither a perfect way nor one particular way to teach reading. However, a combination of several proven practices has given us good re- sults. Nevertheless, we cannot be smug or satisfied with what we have lest complacency sets in; but we must manifest a willingness to try something new that is likely to result in improvement, provided we move cautiously and keep in mind our main objective.
Operating on the premise that we must explore new approaches to learning that show promise, we are pleased to participate with Boston Uni- versity on such a project. For years our schools have been using many of the teaching materials provided by Drs. Durrell and Murphy of Boston University for classroom use. Currently, we are using some of their new research material entitled "Speech to Print Phonics." It is designed to aid the classroom teacher in developing a more effective phonics foundation in grade one. It differs from the traditional approach in that the every-pupil response method permits each child to respond to every task instead of following the older method of "waiting turns." In a given reading period every pupil makes as many as twenty responses while previously he was fortunate if he made more than one.
In at least two of our schools we are proceeding cautiously with the introduction of the individualized reading program mentioned in previous reports. The results are gratifying but it must be borne in mind that this type of program is dependent upon unusually capable and dedicated teachers. Persons trained in this technique are in scarce supply so the competition for them is spirited. Realizing this, we are endeavoring to train a limited number of our own teachers in the basic skills of the program. We are ex- tremely fortunate in having on our staff a truly master teacher whose specialty is individualized reading. Capitalizing upon this individual's skill, we are gradually training others in the method. It is well to bear in mind, however, that many very capable teachers may not be tempermentally suited for this approach to the teaching of reading, so it is not likely that it will ever become a standard practice in all of our schools.
Arithmetic, the second "r" has been the main focus of attention this past year in the elementary schools. Dr. Lonie Rudd, our Arithmetic Con- sultant for the elementary schools from Tufts University, has been instru- mental in the introduction and teaching of the School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) Math program -- materials. Separate workshops for teachers of Grades IV, V and VI have been carried on prior to the introduction of new units of work at these levels. Teachers have been preparing bulletin boards and worksheets in order to help the children better understand the work. Currently it is the practice of teachers, at the intermediate level (Grades 4, 5, 6) to teach SMSG materials three days of the week and co- ordinating it with the regular arithmetic program on the other two days.
Our fifth grade classes are also participating in a five year nation-wide study to determine whether or not the attitudes of children towards arith- metic improve when the SMSG program is taught, as well as to discover
187
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
what are the most effective ways of using this material. Traditionally, arithmetic has not been a popular subject, since many pupils found it difficult as well as uninteresting. It is believed that the current approach, where the structure of mathematics is stressed rather than the techniques, will prove more stimulating to students. Pupils will learn not only how to per - form various functions but will also learn the why of it.
While the intermediate grade teachers (IV, V, VI) were working on the arithmetic program, the primary grade teachers (I, II, III) were engaged in the process of updating the Social Studies curriculum. A diversified pro- gram was provided, including speakers from nearby universities and from our local administrative staff. The majority of work was done in small committees under staff consultants. Teachers, under direction, were given time to examine and evaluate new social studies books of their respective grades as well as an opportunity to discuss the curriculum guides now in use.
The results from this series of in-service meetings has been pleasing. The end product of these seminars has been a collection of resource ma- terials for each grade which has been edited, duplicated and distributed to all teachers of grades one, two and three.
Over the past five years there has been increasing attention to the teaching of science by our staff in the elementary schools. This is evi- denced by the amount of science equipment purchased under Public Law 874 monies. Many of our schools now have portable science tables for demon- stration purposes. These are usually kept near the sixth grade classes who use them rather extensively in their physical science studies. Equip- ment alone is naturally not the answer to an effective program. In our recruitment of teachers we are constantly on the look-out for those with an interest and special knowledge in the field of science. As a result, every building has at least one teacher with some special training or skill in the field who may assist with other classes in this area. It is hoped that eventually we will be able to obtain more such people for our staff, if in- dustry does not lure them away with more lucrative salaries. In any case, we feel it would be wise to intensify the in-service training of our present staff in science.
Three of our schools have weather stations installed in their buildings. Our newest school, the Stratton, began its weather station this past year. Mr. Charles Peirce, a local resident and an employee of the United States Weather Bureau, taught the first series of classes to the sixth grades. Under our program pupil weather observers read and forecast the weather twice daily. This is recorded, and monthly, transmitted to the United States Weather Bureau. The local rain and snowfall is also recorded as a part of the Charles River flood control project. Last year during the extremely heavy autumnal rains these observations were an important part of our local emergency planning.
For the past three years we have had an elementary science consultant on our staff whose specialty is natural science. She conducts one hour-long lesson every two weeks in every fifth grade and in the Industrial Arts Junior High School. The sixth grade AT class has a lesson with her weekly, and the Special Classes once every three weeks.
This year the first month of teaching was an insect study with special emphasis on the Monarch butterfly. As part of the Harvard University banding project of banding butterflies, our classes had the rich experience of being in on a university research project. All classes saw Monarch cater- pillars, chrysalis and live butterflies. Some classes saw the caterpillars make its chrysalis and many children watched the butterfly emerge from the chrysalis and expand its wings to full size. Every class saw a Monarch being banded and released to start its long journey south. Students also caught many butterflies, so in all about 225 were banded.
188
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The sixth grade Academically Talented class sponsored an informal family star night as part of their astronomy study. Approximately seventy parents, brothers, sisters and students turned out on a Friday night to view the heavenly bodies. Through the use of a 90 power telescope they were able to view Jupiter and its moons and Saturn with its rings. Some teachers, parents and students also attended the open night at the Harvard Observa- tory.
Every elementary school was provided with a special science kit this year. Each kit provides all the necessary materials and apparatus needed for science demonstrations, Grade I through Grade VI. A complete manual is provided for each kit which is written in non-technical terms readily understood by the regular classroom teacher. This enables the teacher to carry on a number of essential experiments without special assistance.
Our art program in the elementary schools is continuing to grow in scope and depth. However, our expanding school population is over-taxing our special art teacher to the extent that we must request an assistant for her.
Team Teaching is a modern concept of education that has received its fair share of attention by our staff. Currently, at least four schools are attempting to implement some facets of it in their programs. For the past two summers we have had members of our staff studying this method of teaching at the Harvard-Lexington Summer School under funds made avail- able by Public Law 874. Briefly, this program stresses cooperative plan- ning, teaching and evaluation of the results by a group of teachers. Our buildings do not permit the degree of flexibility needed for full-scale utili- zation of this concept nor do we feel that it is entirely acceptable for our system, but we are confident that increased teacher cooperation in planning is resulting in better educative experiences for our pupils. We, therefore, hope to continue to adapt various new techniques of this program to suit our needs. This may include a series of teacher workshops during the summer.
Through the cooperation of several P.T.A.'s, a series of informal dis- cussion groups for parents have been set up. These include parents of youngsters in special classes, parents of youngsters in the primary grades, and the parents of youngsters in the intermediate grades. Discussions are led by a staff member of the Psychological Counseling Department. They have been examining the growth and developmental patterns of children and how these relate to the whole learning process. This is a service that the School Department is delighted to provide and strongly endorses. It is felt that we can promote an even better type of education for our youngsters as the parents and the school work more and more cooperatively. The more we all understand about the educative process the easier it becomes to implement desirable changes.
OUR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS
Perhaps the least understood and therefore, the most maligned segment of American Education is the Junior High School. Its very name Junior High School indicates somewhat the complexity of its true identity. The Admi- nistration has become increasingly concerned over the lackof a role defini- tion for the junior high school nation-wide, so accordingly, they are institut- ing a rather comprehensive look at our own two schools. So far, this has consisted of a day long discussion between the principals and the admini- stration with a university professor whose speciality is the junior high school. This much is certain. We are giving in our junior high schools as good and in most cases better preparation to our youngsters than the na- tional average. Is this good enough? We think not, for we feel the potential and the "know-how" is locally available to make a real contribution to the field.
189
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Country-wide there is an extreme shortage of teachers specifically trained to teach and to understand the eleven to fourteen year old youngsters. The vast majority of teachers tend to be trained as senior high school teachers with the result being a greater stress on subject matter mastery than some educators feel desirable.
The Junior High School West has been using a method of teaching for some years now that tends to prevent the over-stressing of subject-matter. Where possible, the same teacher teaches the same youngsters in both English and Social Studies. This has merit, in our opinion, because this permits the teacher to know his pupils better and consequently, provides more adequately for individual needs and abilities. A further concommitant is that the seventh grade youngster coming from the self-contained class- room of the elementary school (where one teacher teaches most subjects) is not coldly thrust into the usual departmentalized setup. It is our feeling that this smoother transition ultimately resolves itself in a better adapted pupil, who in turn is more likely to perform at his optimum capacity. Ad- mittedly, it is difficult to obtain teachers who are sufficiently trained in two subject fields. It is our thought at the present time, without research aid, that part of the answers to the shortage of qualified teachers may lay in the use of certain intermediate grade teachers, with liberal arts backgrounds, in the junior high school. This seems feasible, for though there is a short- age of good teachers at every level, there is less of a shortage in the inter- mediate grades. At any rate, the administration with the whole-hearted support of our very capable junior high school principals, intends to spend much time studying the function of the junior high school and how we can improve it.
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